Combining Profit and Purpose: Managing Mission Drifts with Organizational Evolution

Abstract

While extant research identifies strategies to prevent or counterbalance mission drifts at an organizational level, the examination of entrepreneur level responses to manage such drifts remains limited. The present study, borrowing from paradox theory and using the case of an Indian nonprofit organization which gradually evolved into a social enterprise, identifies factors which helped the entrepreneur to make sense of, and manage multiple mission drifts with the organizational evolution. These factors, namely, ability to integrate idealism and pragmatism, awareness of contextual factors, and ability to navigate contradictory forms of organizing helped the entrepreneur manage two different types of drifts – referred to as sustenance drift and mission drift. We conclude with implications for paradox theory and mission drift literature.